Jeff Brown Bail Bonds, LLC
Dear Governor Kasich,
Representative McGregor,
Representative Hartley, and
Senator Widener.
I have enclosed my 8 step plan to help Ohio's deficit. If you have any questions email me at jeffbrown@bail2.com
Ohio's Budget is way out of line and there are many solutions that seem to be overlooked for one reason or another. Below are what we believe are changes that should be made in Ohio.
Step 1. Decrease the jail population. Adopt Ohio version of Michigan's Senate Bill 151 (copy of law can be found on this website). Have the private sector (private bail bonds companies) handle prison early release program for non-violent offenders.
Step 2. Make jail a place that people DO NOT want to be staying. It is unfortunate, but it is a learned behavior by repeat offenders that jail (including prison is not that bad). Institute manditory community service while doing jail time. People would have a different view of jail if they were required to work to help offset their cost!
Step 3. Eliminate "double dipping" by public employees. We have people that are collecting their pensions and working making excellent incomes (taking away from people that have NO INCOME). If you are retired from a public job and receiving retirement, you should be deemed retired and not rehired.
Step 4. Manditory drug testing for anyone receiving government assistance.
Step 5. Make it required for all school districts in Ohio to specify the amount each individual administrator is being paid (what scale) and have it read to the school board prior to appointment. Include what the qualifications are for each specific administrator to justify the pay rate. A first year adminitrator should NOT receive a higher pay school than what is appropriate. Make HR and superintendent responsible for alligning adminstrative pay scale in a transparent way. Also, follow the same procedure in other public sectors.
Step 6. Do away with educational standardized testing (OGT, OAT, etc...). Cut all excess waste. If a student is going to college they have to take the ACT or SAT. If they are going to work they will usually have to take test by the employer to ensure that they are qualified.
Step 7. Revamp public education and start holding student/parents accountable. "No child left behind is a great idea but an impossible practice." If a student adamently is against education and refuses to be taught the district should be able to expel the student without worrying about losing funding. The biggest mistake in public education is that school districts have to follow the states and federal guidelines in order to maintain funding. (The problem is the guidelines the state makes for the schools to receive funding). These guidelines are coming from the state government. They can't figure out how to legally fund schools and yet they create comprehensive ways to disburse funding to public schools. The federal governement isn't much better at it.
Step 8. Revamp "Special Education". It appears that students that choose not to be engaged in their education end up on I.E.P's because they have education gaps. After numerous years of blatently not embracing academics, an I.E.P should not be the catch all.
*It is a mistake to do away with collective bargaining in Ohio. The state already has the ability to fire employees that are not fit. As far as strikes go, public employees can be fired if they strike under current regulations without Senate Bill 5!
*I voted for Governor Kasich because I wanted wasteful spending to stop. I am a union representative for my school district. Originally, I was excited that he won the election for Governor because I think our government sometimes thinks throwing more money into public sectors solves problems- it does not. I figured he also would be favorable to small business. At the same time, I firmly believe that attempting to do away with unions and collective bargaining is overwhelmingly unfair to all of Ohio.
*I also thought the Governor with the "Common Sense initiative" would be favorable for small business. In February, I was fined $450 by the Ohio Department of Insurance for not having my home address listed in a phone book directory(the phone company representative acknowedged that we always direct them to put our address in the ads-the ODI wouldn't budge without a hearing and said that my application would be on hold until it was over).
My personal story about public education
It has been obvious for some time, that a lot of waste out there. I see it a lot in our public school system. Our district purchased several houses on the tax payers dime where they thought they were going to build the new high school. They decided to build the new high school somewhere else and not only are we stuck with the old historic high school building, but the houses that were bought will be sold for a substantial loss.
Our district also has hired administrators at higher pay scales than what is "a typical entry level salary." Even more disturbing, one job was never posted and was filled by the human resources husband (at a higher pay scale than entry level administrators). To add to the questionable actions, there wasn't any interview for the position- no other candidates.
I have spent the last six years in positions that I have been "appointed". The "union" has no power to challenge the administration for what I deam as punitive placement. I was placed on a "rift list" for School Counselors. Since they appointed me to a position "In school Suspension" I was not eligible to be called back for a counseling position. Our district has hired more than one school counselor from outside of the district. I have never had a negative evaluation to date. All my evaluations have been positive. In otherwords, school districts still have ways to try to force people into quitting/resigning.
Administration can already do what they want to teachers in my opinion. Teacher "accountablity" has been stressed since the establishing of standardized testing. How are administrators measured?
I have worked in many buildings in my school district and I have seen some great teachers. It is unfair and blatently not right for them to be scrutinized by anyone. They are dealing with more adverse conditions as a result of our ineffective leadership which starts at the top. The funding of the education system in Ohio has been ruled by the Ohio Supreme Court as unconstitutional four times. The legislatures blame the court. (The court did not make the law- the legislatures did).
It is ironic that the government is now blaming unions and collective bargaining for its own ineffectiveness.
PS: Our local paper had an article from our state senator about emailing him ideas about possible solutions to our financial problems. I emailed him link to Michigans Senate Bill 151. (which cuts back on inmate population in jails).
I will also forward my email to the Governor and two state representatives. I will include his response on this page. If anyone actually gives specific feedback as to why we don't have a similar law in Ohio.
